Well, not exactly. The truth is that I really don't care. Honestly, I didn't know that a decision was going to be made yesterday, or anytime soon for that matter--I just know that it was Pride Week last week, and that was, for the most part, because all the parking in the Short North was blocked off. But, with such landmark rulings coming down, American Christians are bound to react across a vast spectrum of disappointment and joy. I want to address the issue both to Christians on a political and religious level.
The Political
This country is not our home. We are citizens of Heaven, sent as ambassadors of Christ to bid sinners to come to repentance through His blood (Phil. 3:20; 2 Cor. 5:20). Far too often, I have seen this country become the idol of American hearts. Conservatives and Liberals alike have a pipe-dream of an ideal, American utopia--but we must dream of the Kingdom. We must prepare for the One True King to come, so that this broken world can be erased (including this country) and the New Heaven and New Earth can be established.
Gay Marriage will be legal in this entire country before I turn 40, whether you like it or not. That statement has no spiritual connection--it is a matter of fact. The majority is leaning that way and the constitutionality of the laws that withhold gay rights are standing on feeble ground at best. The next round of state elections will see the propositions to recognize gay marriage and, though it might take some years, it will be universal across the Union in the not-too-distant future.
Should America actually block Gay Marriage from being legal? With my political apathy, I tend to shy away from the "legislating morality" camp in some cases (not for abortion, however). I feel that this country has been going in an anti-Christian trajectory (with the help of Christians, themselves). Thus, my desire is to see the hearts of the people change when then put their hope in the Gospel that comes from the Church's lips, not legislate what they can and can't do from behind the curtain of a voter's booth. With this opinion, I am disagreeing with Timothy Keller, which is not something a 23 year old "layman" (at best) would typically do, but this is what I hold: I see that the homosexual demographic is growing in this country and it would be folly to not graft them into the laws by which the rest of the country lives. That is not to say that I am "happy" about the rulings today or a proponent of the gay rights movement--I just don't feel inclined to necessarily stop it as it gains political momentum.
The "Defense of Marriage Act" is ironic. Conservatives are busy trying to defend the sanctity of marriage from being destroyed by homosexuals when it is already hung in the noose of divorce. When Jesus affirms Genesis' definition of marriage as one man holding fast to one woman (Matt. 19:5-6), the Lord's imperative "what God has joined together, let man not separate," gets pushed to the wayside while affirmation of monogamous heterosexuality is used as ammunition for the argument du jour. The divorce rate saddens me, and I pray for healthy, God-glorifying marriages for the ones I love, especially in the Church, as we are to be a light displaying Christ's love to the world in our marriages.
Was this a victory of gay rights, or proof that the judicial system is working correctly? We Americans are very selfish people when it comes to things like this. One sees the outcome and our reaction is based upon whether or not it coincides with our beliefs, feelings, ideals, etc. But, if one looks at solely the mechanics of yesterday's decisions, do we not see democracy? One act that was legitimately brought to the Supreme Court was deemed unconstitutional in the legitimacy of that court's, per the Constitution's prescription. And, an appeal was brought to the Supreme Court by non-state-affiliated supporters of a proposition, who had no legal right to do so since they did not speak for the state, therefore leaving their appeal legitimately unheard and the decision by the lower court upheld--again, per the Constitution's prescription. Of course, those who are not pleased with the Court can call them corrupt (as conservatives are) or bigoted (as the gay rights proponents surely would have done if the rulings were reversed), yet many cry out with the displeasure of a punished toddler with no inkling of a love for the democratic process.
Just because it is the law of the land does not mean it transcends the Law of God. Here is my segue into what these decisions mean for the Church. The Constitution of the United States was not breathed by the Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything in it. The laws and commands laid down in the Bible are and will forever be transcendent over any nation's law. If the country says something is permissible and God says it is not, whose word prevails? Do nine earthly judges outrank the Judge of the living and the dead (Rev. 20:11-13)?
Was this a victory of gay rights, or proof that the judicial system is working correctly? We Americans are very selfish people when it comes to things like this. One sees the outcome and our reaction is based upon whether or not it coincides with our beliefs, feelings, ideals, etc. But, if one looks at solely the mechanics of yesterday's decisions, do we not see democracy? One act that was legitimately brought to the Supreme Court was deemed unconstitutional in the legitimacy of that court's, per the Constitution's prescription. And, an appeal was brought to the Supreme Court by non-state-affiliated supporters of a proposition, who had no legal right to do so since they did not speak for the state, therefore leaving their appeal legitimately unheard and the decision by the lower court upheld--again, per the Constitution's prescription. Of course, those who are not pleased with the Court can call them corrupt (as conservatives are) or bigoted (as the gay rights proponents surely would have done if the rulings were reversed), yet many cry out with the displeasure of a punished toddler with no inkling of a love for the democratic process.
Just because it is the law of the land does not mean it transcends the Law of God. Here is my segue into what these decisions mean for the Church. The Constitution of the United States was not breathed by the Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything in it. The laws and commands laid down in the Bible are and will forever be transcendent over any nation's law. If the country says something is permissible and God says it is not, whose word prevails? Do nine earthly judges outrank the Judge of the living and the dead (Rev. 20:11-13)?
The Religious
Legal or not, like it or not, homosexuality is sinful. One may get pegged as a hateful fundamentalist for believing that marriage was created to be between one man and one woman, that homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord (Deut. 20:13), and that it is a transgression that is worthy of condemnation (1. Cor. 6:9). There is no getting around this--one cannot explain this away with liberal theology or ignorantly disregard it. Accepting this does not mean we hate homosexuals, but it means that we love the Lord and hang on His every word--not because the words are popular, but because they are His. In denial of it, we can love all we want, yet love them straight to the eternal resting place of the unrepentant in Hell. We must not compromise sound doctrine for the sake of "loving" them when they are dead in their sins--we must give them the Gospel, that condemns their sin yet offers them eternal life in Christ through repentance.
God is Sovereign. Scripture tells us that God is sovereign over our country's leadership (Romans 13:1) The decisions made yesterday were allowed under His divine hand, though they show Him no direct glory. We must trust the work of His hands. Also, when I first heard that rulings on these issues were going to be handed down about an hour later, my mind rushed to Romans 1:24-31:
God is Sovereign. Scripture tells us that God is sovereign over our country's leadership (Romans 13:1) The decisions made yesterday were allowed under His divine hand, though they show Him no direct glory. We must trust the work of His hands. Also, when I first heard that rulings on these issues were going to be handed down about an hour later, my mind rushed to Romans 1:24-31:
God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.... For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.... Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.In God's sovereignty, did he allow these rulings to go through give homosexuals over to their lusts? Paul references homosexuality directly and the approval of those who practice it (Pride surely displayed it). I did not rejoice over the fact that my mind went there--my reaction was closer to trembling with fear. I fear that the legal affirmation will allow sinners to joyfully run away from the Grace that seeks to give them eternal joy in Christ. It is consistently a hard truth to stomach, but, if this is what my Lord is doing in His wisdom, I must acknowledge that my mortal wisdom is nothing compared to Him.
We must not demonize homosexuality. When I read through Exodus a couple months ago, I was taken aback by this statement from Yahweh to the Israelites: "You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt," (23:9). It would have been easy for them to do so (and they eventually did) when you are God's chosen people. The same goes for the Christian: we must not oppress the sinner--we know the heart of the sinner, for we were sinners apart from Christ. The Church must not wage a culture war on homosexuality as the Right has done for years. Should we not sympathize with men and women entrenched in sin and bound for destruction?--The only thing that makes us different than them is the Blood of the Lamb.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9-10, emphasis mine).The sin in which we were downing may not have been plastered all over every news outlet, with calls from both sides telling us to "be ourselves" or that we would soon be burning in Hell. It was sin nonetheless, and by all means would have ended in our eternal condemnation, but for the cross of Christ. Perhaps if our heart breaks over our sin that has been payed for, we will be able to love those who still cling to theirs.
The Church should know where and when to take a stand. My youthful zeal is all too apt to share my opinions, for what does a 23 year old know about the way the Church should stand against homosexuality when the Church herself has gotten it wrong for decades? Who am I to even declare that the Church "got it wrong"? Well, I do have my opinions about what the Church should do, and what I believe I should do if and when I am a pastor myself. Like I said above--this is not a time for a culture war. This is where the old mantra/cliché of "hate the sin, love the sinner" must be done thoroughly. We must not forget that Jesus was a friend of sinners, yet He still tells us to leave our lives of sin (John 8:11). We must display the love of Christ to them so that they may see His face and desire it to the point of forsaking all their other desires.
But, our in our churches, there must not be teaching that homosexuality is not a sin. Being "born that way" means nothing, for David knew that he was sinful from the time he was conceived (Ps. 51:5). We must teach what sin is and that sin must be put to death by the Grace of God in Christ. There has even been talk of pastors getting thrown in jail for not marrying same-sex couples in the future, yet I do not think any pastor who reveres the Lord should marry a same-sex couple in spite of the punishment (and the same goes for me if and when I become a pastor). There are stands to make--yet they must be discerned with the guidance of the Spirit.
He's coming back!
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”Maranatha.
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